Path Of War

Chapter 2: Inconsistences

Dr. Kapoor finally entered the room, her smile a little less practiced this time.

"Excellent," she said, "it looks like you're all done. We can proceed."

The room fell silent, the weight of the moment settling in. Arthur glanced around the group; a diverse mix of personalities united by this moment. He saw curiosity in Alexander's eyes, skepticism from Jada's, and a slight arrogance from Jasper's. Alice herself seemed bored, Margaret was impatient, and William was still enigmatic.

Arthur, whose curiosity was piqued by the strange "Naruto" question, handed his forms along with the rest.

Dr. Kapoor had a smile on her face after verifying all the papers were signed. Clapping her hands, she said, "Wonderful! Now, if you'll all follow me."

The door shut behind them as they were led to the main room. In the center were seven sleek pods, each circling the other.

"This is the Elysian Enclave Mk. II," she announced, her voice filled with pride. "Each one is meticulously calibrated to provide a unique, fully immersive virtual reality experience."

She paused, taking in some of their awed expressions.

"The world you'll be entering is based on a popular Japanese anime series called Naruto."

The room erupted in a cacophony of reactions. Alice scoffed, saying, "Anime? Seriously?"

"A cartoon world?" Jasper wondered with contempt. "I signed up for cutting-edge technology, not playtime."

Arthur, despite his reservations about something that wasn't faith-based, felt a little curious. He had heard of Naruto before but never bothered watching it.

William piped up, asking, "How did Elysium acquire the rights to use Masashi Kishimoto's work?"

Dr. Kapoor's smile was brittle as she said, "Rights? We don't have any rights. Besides, this isn't really Naruto. Call it a game that has similar qualities—nothing taken from anyone else's ideas."

Despite the grumbles and raised eyebrows, a grudging acceptance settled over the group. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and quibbling over the theme wouldn't change that. Each harboured their own reasons for participating, some selfless, some more pragmatic.

One thing was clear: stepping into the virtual world of Naruto, which Arthur himself knew little to nothing about, was a risk everyone was willing to take.

Dr. Kapoor, sensing their acceptance, distributed stacks of paper that detailed what this world would consist of—the chakra system, the different villages, and the ongoing conflict. Arthur scanned the densely packed pages, a growing frown showing itself on his face.

The story of a mischievous orphan named Naruto Uzumaki, ostracized by his village for harbouring a sealed devilish fox within him. That same boy's journey is to become the "Hokage," the leader of his village.

The document continued to delve into the complex social structure of ninja clans, each with their own unique fighting styles and special abilities called "jutsus." They had a special system called chakra, the source of their power, and intricate hand signs used to unleash it.

One particular character, named Sasuke Uchiha, caught Arthur's interest. Sasuke was written to have been a prodigy of the Uchiha clan, a peculiar clan known for their powerful "Sharingan" eye technique and fire manipulation jutsus. His older brother, Itachi Uchiha, massacred their entire clan for complicated reasons. Consumed by his false desire for vengeance against Itachi, Sasuke became consumed, manipulated into abandoning his village for power.